2,3-Dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-hydroxybenzofuran (hereinafter also referred to as carbofuran phenol), ##STR2## is a known compound useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-benzofuranyl methylcarbamate, a well known insecticide known by its accepted generic name carbofuran.
Known methods for preparation of carbofuran phenol from catechol generally involve alkylation of catechol with methallyl halide and subsequent thermal rearrangement and cyclization of the resulting 2-methallyloxyphenol to form carbofuran phenol. Disclosures and details of the steps involved in this process are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,474,170; 3,927,118; 4,314,086; 4,321,204 and 4,380,654.
An alternative method for the preparation of carbofuran phenol by thermally rearranging 2-isopropyl-1,3-benzodioxole is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,400.
Gripenberg and Hase, Acta Chem Scand. 20, 1561-1570 (1966), report an acid-catalyzed thermal dehydration, rearrangement and cyclization of 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropoxybenzene to form 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethylbenzofuran.
Although (hydroxy-alkoxy phenols, such as 2-(2-methylpropoxy)phenol, which are homologous to the novel 2-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropoxy)phenol of this invention are known, the known compounds are not capable of being converted to carbofuran phenol.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new process for the preparation of carbofuran phenol. It is also the object of this invention to provide a novel intermediate for the preparation of carbofuran phenol. In particular, it is an object of this invention to provide a 2-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropoxy)phenol which can be converted to carbofuran phenol.